


Everybody Got This Broken Feeling

by IllegalCerebral



Series: Kiss Me Hard Before You Go (Spencer/OC series) [2]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Spencer Reid, Case Fic, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Dad!Spencer Reid, F/M, Foster Care, Honeymoon, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Kidnapping, Non-Verbal Character, Parent-Child Relationship, Past Rape/Non-con, Rescue, Sad Spencer Reid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:55:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23428837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IllegalCerebral/pseuds/IllegalCerebral
Summary: Spencer returns from his honeymoon feeling on top of the world and finally coping with the after effects of the trauma he's experienced. All that changes though when the BAU is charged with bringing down the people behind a child trafficking site. Now there is a traumatised little girl depending on him to keep her safe and stop anyone else from getting hurt.This story is a sequel toKiss Me Hard Before You Goand while you don't need to have read that story to get the plot of this one, that work did introduce some significant OCs.
Relationships: Spencer Reid & Original Character(s), Spencer Reid & The BAU Team, Spencer Reid/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Kiss Me Hard Before You Go (Spencer/OC series) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1685338
Comments: 31
Kudos: 56





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story will update every Wednesday!
> 
> **I only post my work to AO3 and tumblr. If you come across this story on any other platform is has been stolen and reposted without my permission.**
> 
> **I DO NOT CONSENT TO MY WORK BEING USED THIS WAY**

“You’re back!” Spencer was hardly through the door when Penelope tackled him into a bone-crunching hug, “We missed you so much. Did you have fun? How’s Grace? Is it weird being married?”

“He’s away longer when he’s on sabbatical,” laughed Luke, hovering behind, “but seriously man, congratulations.”

“Thanks,” Spencer beamed, “Yes we had a great time, Edinburgh is beautiful. We went to museums, the castle and the festival was on so we saw a few shows. Grace lived there for a few months as a kid so she was really happy to go back. Being married is awesome,” he added with an ear-to-ear grin.

“Please tell me you didn’t spend your entire honeymoon dragging your beautiful wife round museums. Tell me there were at least some sexy times!”

Spencer and Luke’s “Penelope!” was simultaneous but with vastly different tones. By now they were in the bullpen and JJ and Tara halted their conversation to listen in.

“What? That’s what a honeymoon is for!”

“Grace picked Isaac up from our house this weekend positively glowing so I think everything’s fine on that front,” JJ said with a wink. Spencer made an odd spluttering sound and attempted to hide his face.

“I was going to give you guys your souvenirs but maybe I won’t bother.”

“Aww come on,” said Tara, “That’s not fair on those of us who have appropriate boundaries.”

“For you,” Spencer presented her with a bottle from the Edinburgh gin distillery. For Matt there were thick tartan blankets plus some matching scarves for the Simmons children. Luke got a tartan coat for Roxie and a couple tins of shortbread. JJ and family got t-shirts from teams in the Scottish Premiership and to Penelope he presented a beautiful brooch set in the shape of the Scottish crown jewels.

“I take back everything I said, “ she breathed, “You’re perfect. I love you. Tell Grace I love her too.”

“Look who’s back!” Rossi pulled Spencer into a bear hug upon arriving with Emily.

“And I brought gifts!” Spencer handed over a bottle of whiskey for Rossi and a thick shawl in soft wool for Emily.

“Looks like someone had a good time,” said Emily with a smile, “but I’m afraid you’re going to have to hit the ground running. We have a case.” The mood deflated instantly. Inwardly, Spencer groaned. He and Grace had only been back two days and the thought of working long hours so soon was unappealing. At least it was local. Once upon a time he would have looked forward to a case outside of DC, now he almost dreaded them.

“This one is a strange one. It was passed to us internally from the crimes against children unit. They’ve been conducting and operation for the past three years in conjunction with cybercrimes. Garcia?”

“Ugh I hate this part! Our esteemed colleagues have been tracking a group that operate primarily on the dark web. They started by trading images and video and have evolved to trafficking children both across the country and internationally. Every time the FBI cracks their passwords and codes they are able to dismantle everything and move on with better security in a matter of hours.”

“They’re organised and tech savvy,” said Rossi, “why are we being called in?”

“Last month the task force made a break through. They’d been attempting to make contact and have some of their analysts go undercover to pose as members and finally one of them gained enough trust to see some of the inner workings of the group, “ explained Emily. “The servers are maintained her in DC.”

“That’s risky,” frowned JJ, “There are places with far more lax security laws that would be a better place to have as a base.”

“Our operative thinks that the people in charge are close. Like IRL close,” Garcia said.

“They want us to compile a geo-profile and see if we can track down where in DC these guys are,” said Emily, “Garcia is our expert here so we’ll follow her lead.”

“I’m the boss?”

“Not what I said, but you do know how these people operate.”

“Okay guys, you are going to want to brace yourself. This stuff is nasty.”

Nasty was an understatement of epic proportions. Penelope took them through the site’s contents and it was stomach churning. Slowly they pieced together some information on the site owners but after hours or looking through the worst content imaginable everyone agreed they had to take a break or risk going mad. On his way outside, Spencer passed Luke and Penelope sitting in the hall, heads together, Luke clasping Penelope’s hands and brushing his thumb across her knuckles. It sent a pang through Spencer that didn’t subside until he hit the call button outside the office.

“Is the part where you tell me you’re being called away on a case and I spend the next week pining?” Grace asked.

“It’s local,” Spencer’s voice was thick, the hint of a tremor breaking through, “But uh…it’s bad. It’s really bad.”

“ _Suiker_ , I’m so sorry.” Spencer leaned against the side of the building; the cold stone grounding him a little but what he really wanted was for Grace to be there in person.

“It may run late tonight. Can you do me a favour and hug Isaac really tight. Tell him I’m sorry.”

“One of those cases?”

“Yeah,” Spencer’s eyes were stinging now. “You know years ago we worked a case in Canada, did I tell you about that? I remember asking Hotch if he ever got the feeling that a case wasn’t going to end well.”

“What did he say?” Grace asked.

“He never answered, just told me to keep working. Once the case was over I always meant to ask him again but I guess I was too scared.”

“It’s a always a long road with these cases,” said Grace, “but you’ve just started. Your team is the best at this.”

“These people have already hurt so many though…” Spencer rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand. Even if this wasn’t a seemingly impossible task, the amount of victims there had already been was overwhelming. All those children being passed around not to mention all the ones in those pictures and videos made nausea well up inside Spencer.

“I’m probably being ridiculous but…I think I’m going to ask Dr Terrence if I can book an extra session.”

“Just for you?” Spencer heard Grace shift, like she was moving the phone to the other ear. “That’s good. Trying to get ahead of something means you’re already partly equipped to deal with it.” The nausea had gone now, taking some of the tension in Spencer’s shoulders with it.

“I love you, you know that?” he smiled.

“I was getting that impression yes,” Grace chuckled, “I love you too _suiker_.”

“Spence?” JJ stuck her head through the door, waving at him, “We may have something.”

Back at the round table Garcia had managed to partially crack the forum’s metadata to see some kind of payment system. No names, just some overseas accounts but with a little bit of less than legal computer magic Garcia had managed to track a transfer of $20,000 into one of the accounts.

“What can $20k get you on one of these sites?” Luke asked quietly. Garcia shot him a look that told him he didn’t want to know.

“Okay our scumbag’s name is Timothy Blake. He’s 47, twice divorced and lives in Downtown DC. He works from home as a freelance software developer and he has priors for public indecency and was charged with aggravated assault but those were later dropped.” Garcia pulled up the photo of a waxy looking guy with dark eyes.

“Spencer and Luke pay this guy a visit,” said Emily, “Garcia can you work on tracking some of these other accounts?”

“Is the Pope a Catholic?”

“The rest of us will take those as and when you find the names.”

* * *

“You okay?” Luke asked as they pulled up outside Timothy Blake’s apartment.

“I will be when this is over,” sighed Spencer. He glanced up at the window. There was an almost imperceptible twitch at the curtains. “I think we’ve been spotted.”

“We shouldn’t disappoint Timothy,” scoffed Luke as they headed into the building. They could hear shouts above them as they headed up the stairwell, a woman from the sounds of it, and the pair of them tore up the stairs.

“He headed down the fire escape,” a young woman yelled.

“I got him,” Luke headed out the door, Blake shuffling down the staircase outside.

“There was crying!” the young woman grabbed Spencer’s arm before he could follow.

“What?”

“We heard crying an hour or so ago. He doesn’t have kids but-“

Without another word Spencer ran to Blake’s front door and rammed into it as hard as a he could. The cheap wood splintered as it swung open and warm, stale air hit Spencer, making him gag. A scuffle behind made him glance back. Luke was dragging Blake back into the corridor.

“This is police brutality!”

“Neighbour heard a child cry,” Spencer said, ignoring him. Blake’s face went white as a sheet.

“She’s a lying bitch!”

“We’ve made dozens of complaints about him,” the woman argued, “he’s always hanging around the kids. I saw him take pictures of my son and his friends playing soccer outside. Mrs Bryant upstairs is sure he’s been peeping too.”

“Ma’am can you head back into your apartment? We’ll need to interview you later,” said Luke, “You. In.” He shoved Blake forwards. The place was bare aside from a battered couch, grubby kitchen area, and a desk stacked with computers and doors to what Spencer assumed was the bedroom and bathroom.

“See, nothing here,” Blake said but his voice shook. He was also sweating profusely, his eyes darting from side to side like a trapped animal.

“What about your computer?” Luke asked, shoving Blake down onto the couch. Still Blake kept scanning the room.

“You don’t have a warrant,” Blake snarled.

“Not yet,” said Spencer, “Why did you transfer $20,000 to an offshore account that was then used in a transaction on a dark net site that specialises in the exploitation of children?”

“I- how did you-“

“And what are you looking for?” Spencer asked. He was amazed how level his voice was. “You keep looking towards that door.”

“This is my home you can’t just-“

“We can if we have probable cause,” Spencer headed towards the door. Inside was a dingy bathroom that smelt like stale water. It was silent except for the slow drip of the tap at the sink. Spencer was about turn back when something twitched behind the shower curtain. With one hand on his gun he grabbed the curtain and pushed it open.

Two dark eyes under a matted mop of dirty blonde hair scowled up at him.

“Luke, call an ambulance and child services!”

Blake began to sob as Spencer leaned over the side of the bath. It was hard to tell how old the little girl was. She looked malnourished and her face, was obscured by the rag wrapped around her mouth. Her hands were tied in front of her.

“Hey,” Spencer dropped his voice as he pulled out his badge. “I’m not going to hurt you. My friend and I are here to help you.” Her eyes flicked blankly from the badge to Spencer face. Gingerly, he reached forward and she shuffled backwards, the fearsome scowl returning.

“I just want to take these off,” he pointed to his mouth and then tapped his wrist, “then we’re going to take you somewhere where no one’s going to hurt you.” He didn’t even want to begin guessing what else this girl had gone through at this point. There was a thick scar on the back of her hand, peeking out from the too-long sleeve of the pyjamas she wore. When Spencer reached forward again she didn’t flinch but she also didn’t move forwards or offer up her hands. It was easy to slip the bonds off of her wrist but she just held her hands in her lap as Spencer undid the gag.

“There we go, is that better? Can you tell me your-“ In lightning fast movement, before Spencer could pull his hand back, the little girl had sunk her teeth into him. The glare had intensified and her little hands were balled into fists. It wasn’t actually that painful but the girl looked like she had no intention of letting go so Spencer was just sort of stuck for a moment.

It was a defensive mechanism, he knew and something cracked inside him at how quick, and with such little hesitation she had defended herself.

“Okay. You must be pretty scared huh? And angry? If I could get my hand back then I can get you out of here. I promise I’m not going to hurt you.” His heart was thundering and he watched her closely. She was studying him, trying to work out if she could trust him. For a moment the two of them just sat there, Spencer’s hand still firmly clamped between her teeth until slowly she released him. Her face remained fixed in a scowl though.

“Thank you,” Spencer rubbed his hand. “I’m Spencer. My friend out there is Luke. What’s your name?”

Nothing.

Spencer sighed inwardly. Hopefully Garcia would be able to find out who she was. If she was lucky there was a worried mother and father out there searching for her.

“You want to get out of the bath?”

The girl screwed up her face and shook her head, arms folded across her chest.

“Okay but there’s going to be an ambulance here in a sec. They want to make sure you aren’t hurt.”

This time she shook her head even more fiercely.

That was going to be problem.

“Reid they’re here!” Luke called and at the sound of multiple people storming their way into the apartment the little girl huddled down even further.

“No, no it’s okay. These are my friends. We’re all here to help you.” The girl made a small noise like a snort and she drew her knees up under her chin. Spencer bit his lip. He would need to change tactics if he wanted to get her out of here. She was obviously small enough that he or one of the paramedics could just pick her up and carry her out but he didn’t want to risk getting bitten again or losing her trust permanently.

“Spence?” Emily hovered in the doorway, eyes wide when she saw the girl in the bath.

“I got this,” he whispered despite his complete lack of confidence that was the case. The girl craned her neck to peer at Emily before settling back again, brow furrowed.

“See this?” Spencer fished a quarter out of his pocket, “this is a magic quarter. It keeps you safe. You don’t believe me?” The girl shook her head. “Watch this.” Spencer clasped the coin in his fist and then blew; upon opening up his hand it was gone. There was the slightest twitch of interest from the girl. Curling up his other hand he repeated the action and this time on opening it the quarter was lying in his palm. Spencer repeated the trick a few more times, making the coin jump between his hands and then into his pocket or behind his ear. “See, magic!” He rubbed the coin between his palms and then opened them up, the coin having vanished. Then, very slowly, he leaned forward. The girl shuffled a little but didn’t flinch as Spencer reached behind her and plucked the coin from thin air. Her eyes went wide as she watched Spencer pull back.

“I think it likes you,” he laughed and held open his hand. Her hand came up hesitantly and she eyed Spencer warily. “Go ahead, it’s yours.” She took the coin, turning it round and inspecting it. “You know if you hold it really tight it will protect you. Maybe you could use it to get out of the bath?”

The girl glanced back at the commotion coming from the living room.

“Guys, we need to clear the room,” Spencer heard Emily say.

As the voices became quieter the girl looked back at Spencer. _Please trust me_ , he willed silently. The girl passed the coin back and forth between her hands, squinting at it. Then, she clambered awkwardly to her feet, gripping the side of the bath to steady herself. Spencer held out his hand, half anticipating another bite, but the girl shook her head and scrambled out, almost landing on the floor with a thud but managing to stop herself. She was determined; Spencer realised and hot on the heels of that heart breaking thought came another. It was entirely possible this child had never had anyone to help her. When she stared up at Spencer though, he caught a flash of something else in her eyes. Worry perhaps, or apprehension.

“You got that quarter?” Spencer asked softly and got a little nod in return, “okay, let’s get you out of here.”


	2. Chapter 2

Getting the little girl out of the bathtub had been a challenge and it wasn’t over yet. Luke had dragged Blake outside to the police car, and a couple of locals and CSU was currently looking over the guy’s bedroom. Only Emily and a smiley paramedic were left in the main living area. The girl stopped dead when she saw them, backing up into Spencer’s legs.

“Hey now, it’s okay,” he said in what he hoped was a reassuring voice, “This is my friend Emily and this lady-“

“Nancy”

“Nancy just wants to check you’re okay. You’ve still got your quarter right?” The girl opened her hand to show him the coin but she also shook her head. “What if I sit next to you here and show you how ot do a trick with the coin while Nancy checks you over?”

The girl scrunched up her face and for a moment Spencer expected an outburst but instead she pattered over to the sofa. The whole process was slow, the girl flinched at being touched and squirmed out of Nancy’s grip.

“So you roll it across the back of your fingers like this see,” Spencer demonstrated the trick Derek had taught him years before. Her hands were much smaller and it was hard to get a grip on the coin but she kept trying, brow furrowed in concentration and tongue poking out.

“She looks malnourished and dehydrated,” Nancy murmured to Emily, “and I would guess she has been for a while. It doesn’t look like she has any broken bones, fractures or the like but the scar is old and there’s a nasty rash on the back of her neck. I think she has lice too. That’s only the stuff that’s visible. The hospital will want to do scans and blood test and a bunch of other things.”

“I don’t think she’ll go for that, look at how she reacted to being touched,” said Emily.

“Then she’ll have to be sedated,” said Nancy, her voice even quieter, “I would put money on there being other things wrong with her.”

Spencer tried not to let the revulsion that bubbled up inside her show on his face as he coaxed the girl out of the apartment and the four of them headed down the stairs. As they walked her eyes kept darting around, every noise drew her attention and her little body was tense as if she was going to break into a run.

“Do you have a name?” Spencer asked as they headed outside. Blake was already gone thankfully. “What should we call you?” the only answer was a shrug. “How about how old you are?” After a pause she held up a hand, fingers splayed wide but thumb tucked in. “Four? Whoa, that’s a great age to be.” It sounded so stupid as he said it; Spencer felt he deserved the annoyed look on her face. They climbed into the ambulance, the girl scrambling up on the bed and Spencer sitting closest to her. Oddly she didn’t seem scared, just more determined, and wary than inside the apartment. “Um, we’re going to the hospital now so they can help you feel better but later on can I ask you a few more questions?” A small nod. That was a relief. The girl yelped a little as a sedative was administered and she tried to squirm and wriggle away.

“Everything’s going to be fine, I promise,” pleaded Spencer and just before her eyes closed the girl reached out for his hand. It was so small compared to his, trembling and clammy.

“Is it?” he asked after a moment of watching her. For the first time she looked peaceful and Spencer couldn’t bear to let go of her hand.

“Is it what?” Emily asked.

“Going to be okay,” said Spencer, “If I just lied to her-“

“When we hand her over at the hospital I want you to go home okay?” Emily held up a hand as Spencer started to protest. “You’ve established a bond with her so I want you there when she wakes up so we can ask her some questions. I want you at your best and that means well rested.”

“ _Suiker_?” Grace rolled over and squinted into the dark.

“I’m sorry,” Spencer whispered, “I didn’t mean to wake you, I should have just crashed on the couch…”

“It’s 2.30am. The case?” Spencer shook his head, Grace nodded and pushed back the covers so he could crawl underneath and cuddle up to her. “Sleep. We can talk in the morning.” But Spencer was already asleep.

When he woke it was from the dip in the bed as Grace perched next to him, a cup of coffee in her hands and the smell of hazelnut wafting from the mug. Spencer took the coffee with sleepy thanks, breathing in the heady smell.

“You’re amazing.”

“It sounded like you needed this last night,” Grace tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “The case?”

“Deep web forum dealing in children,” Spencer stared down into the black liquid. “We traced a payment and we found a little girl tied up in the suspect’s apartment.” Grace muttered something under her breath, eyes heavenward. “She’s so tiny Grace. She won’t say a thing, she can’t even tell us her name and she has this look about her like she’s constantly ready to fight and it’s just…” Spencer trailed off. It felt so hopeless.

“The burden of our jobs is that we see the worst of what people can do to each other.” Grace said, “but a very wise, and handsome man once told me that the gift is being able to get justice and help those people heal.”

Spencer took another sip so he didn’t have to acknowledge his own words turned on himself. Grace smiled, squeezing his free hand.

“I got her to trust me, “ he grudgingly admitted.

“You showed her a magic trick didn’t you?” Grace grinned.

“…maybe…”

Grace leaned forward, pressing a warm, soft kiss to Spencer’s cheek. Spencer closed his eyes as if trying to freeze the moment in time.

“If you got her to trust you then you’ve already started to help her. You have shown her that there are good people out there who can keep her safe.”

“Thank you,” Spencer smiled, “you should listen to this brilliant and very handsome-“

“I just said handsome, not very handsome and I never said brilliant,” laughed Grace, “I should have added smug too hmmm?”

“I’m your husband!”

Grace kissed him again, harder this time, the laugh quivering on her lips.

“And I am very glad you are,” she murmured. “This girl is lucky to have you fighting for her.”

* * *

Any confidence Grace had instilled in him was gone by the time Spencer reached the hospital. His stomach was in knots as he and Emily greeted the doctor. The look on her face gave a broad picture and suddenly Spencer was certain he didn’t want the details.

“We had to keep her sedated,” said Dr Molloy, “she doesn’t like physical contact and it’s no surprise. There is evidence of injuries for the last couple of years. Fractured wrist, a burn on her back, scars, and one of her fingers was broken and set wrong. She’s underweight for her age and lacking the vitamins a healthy child her needs. We’ve got her on a special diet to get her strength up and boost her immune system and we’re treating the rash and the lice. The abuse she suffered was unrelenting and the neglect made the effects worse. I had her blood tested for everything and we did a full body x-ray and a CT scan while she was under.”

“Sexual assault?” Spencer had to force the question out. The look on Dr Molloy’s face was answer enough. “Is she awake?”

“Just. She’s groggy from the meds and if she weren’t so weak I think she’d make a run for it. You can talk to her though. You might have better luck than the nurses.“

“Thanks,” said Emily, “I’m getting the Child Endangerment Taskforce to send a specialist over but for now I think it’s best if you take the lead Spencer.” He nodded and headed inside the room. It was quiet; the only sound was the hum of the monitor. The girl looked so tiny in the hospital bed, drowning in blankets with unfocused eyes on the brink of tears.

“Hi,” he spoke in his softest voice, pulling a chair close, “Its Spencer, do you remember me?” A nod. “I know it must have been scary for you, having all those people prod and poke you. Do you wanna know a secret? I don’t like being touched much either.”

She blinked, and then sluggishly rubbed her eye with the sleeve of the too big pyjamas she’d been given. It was then Spencer saw she still had the quarter in her hand. Maybe that meant that it helped a little.

“Do you mind if I ask you a few questions? All you have to do is nod or shake your head.” Her mouth twisted and for a moment Spencer thought she hadn’t heard or didn’t understand but then came a small nod. “That’s great. The first thing is about the man. Did he hurt you?” Shake. “Did he touch you?” Shake. That was something at least. Of course it could have just been because Blake hadn’t had her long enough to harm her. “Have you been with that man a long time?” Shake. “Did you meet him that day?” Nod. “Someone took you to him?” Nod and then she raised her hand, two fingers. “Two people. Two men?” Shake. “A man and a woman?” Nod. Those were the unsubs. Then an awful thought struck him. “Your mommy and daddy?” The shake of the head was fierce this time to Spencer’s relief. “Did they take you from your home?” This time there wasn’t a shake or a nod but a furrowed brow and a look of confusion. “Okay don’t worry about that. Did they take you in a car to the apartment we found you in?” Nod. “Did it take a long time?” A nod and three fingers. “Three hours?” Shake. “Three days?” Nod. Great. They could have brought her from anywhere. “Did you sleep in the car?” Shake. “In a hotel?” Nod. That was something. “Thank you, that’s really helpful! You’ve been really brave you know that?”

No response this time. Instead the girl just wriggled down into the covers further. After a few more questions about where they stayed the nurse bought a tray of food and Spencer slipped outside with a promise he’d be back. He wondered if he imagined the reluctance on her face as he gave a small wave.

“Did you get anything?” Emily asked.

“She was with Blake less than a day and he didn’t hurt her. Before that she was travelling with a man and a woman for about three days. They slept in a motel rather than their car. It was in a rural area, there were trees. The couple weren’t her parents but I can’t get her to tell me where they abducted her from.”

“It’s enough to get Garcia searching for motels within three days drive and to narrow it down. We can also put her photo and her DNA in the missing children’s database and narrow down the geographic area.”

“We also know we’re looking for a pair now,” said Spencer, “that should help with the profile.”

“JJ and Tara have been going through Blake’s apartment and Luke and Matt have been talking to his neighbours. We can see if anyone remembers a couple with a little girl,” said Emily, “In the meantime the child trauma expert is arriving any minute and may be able to get more detail out of her. Would you be okay sitting in?”

“Of course.”

“You’re getting attached,” said Emily and Spencer didn’t respond straight away. It was true.

“You want to take me off the case?”

“Absolutely not,” said Emily, “I think she needs someone to get attached to her. Chances are no one has done that before.” They both looked at her through the doorway, picking at the tray of food in front of her and eyeing it suspiciously.

“What’s going to happen to her?” Spencer asked, “Once the hospital discharges her I mean?”

Emily bit her lip, a look of helplessness washing over her. Spencer nodded. 

The world wasn’t kind to forgotten children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Suiker" is dutch for sugar. The nickname is explained in Kiss Me Hard Before You Go.


	3. Chapter 3

For the next week Spencer spent everyday at the hospital with the girl and the specialist psychiatrist brought in. Her name was Dr Macy Marquette but she insisted on being called Macy or M and she wore colourful blouses and floaty skirts with little beaded details. Her wiry grey hair was piled up into a giant bun with little flower clips dotted around her head. There was something very Garcia-esque about her Spencer thought, which made more and more sense as he watched her with the girl.

In between treatments Macy would play little games. She roped Spencer in too and at the start of the week it was just the pair of them sitting crossed legged on the floor while the girl watched warily from the hospital bed. Any embarrassment Spencer might have felt was buried under the growing anxiety about what was going to happen. Slowly though she inched closer and closer and eventually joined in. Then on the fourth day they had a break through.

Macy had brought in some plastic letters and the three of them were rearranging them into different words. It seemed like the girl’s vocabulary was right where it should be for her age, which was a small blessing. Then Spencer and Macy spelled out their names.

“I was named after the department store,” Macy sighed, holding up her letters, “so uninspiring. When I was a child I wanted to be an Evangeline or an Antoinette.”

“I was named after a great-uncle I think,” Spencer pushed his letters around with a small smile. “My Mom wanted to name me after Bob Dylan though, she’s a massive fan.” Macy nodded towards the girl who had picked up a couple of the letters. She laid an S carefully down in front of her. Spencer felt his heart to start to hammer as she reached forward and picked up an O then a P, H, I, and finally an E.

“Sophie?” Spencer asked. The girl blinked a few times but her expression was blank. “Is that your name? Sophie?”

A small nod.

“That’s a really nice name,” Spencer smiled, “Pleased to meet you Sophie.” Spencer wasn’t entirely certain but he thought he saw the hint of a smile before Sophie returned to pushing the letters around.

* * *

“There are no missing girls called Sophie or Sophia matching her description Spencer. I checked the entire tri-state area first then I went nationwide,” explained Penelope. “And before you ask I checked with the CPS. There’s no one in their databases either.”

Spencer tried to push down the frustration that was welling up. He knew Garcia was doing her best, and that was frankly superhuman, but he couldn’t get his head round the fact that this child had gone through so much and it hadn’t been picked up on by the authorities.

“Are you still there?’ Garcia asked.

“Yeah I’m here. Visiting hours are over so I’m going to head home. How is the rest of the investigation going?”

“So far the FBI has rounded up twenty-three customers of the site,” Emily took over. “Child protection is dealing with them. Penelope and Cybercrime have mapped out most of the site-”

“-Probably could have done it faster on my own-”

“And then the rest of us have been working on a profile,” Emily cut back in, “These are organised offenders and based on what Blake has given us we think the woman is the dominant partner. She’s a sexual sadist. We think she must have caught the attention of the authorities at some point but she’s smart and charming enough to talk her way out of trouble. There’s an APB out on the car they took to Blake’s too.”

“That’s good,” Spencer shifted his feet from side to side. It didn’t feel good. It felt like everything was moving at a glacial pace but he knew his anxiety was playing tricks on him. “The doctors have said Sophie can be released in a couple of days and they’re looking for emergency foster care for her.” His tone was questioning but he wasn’t sure what he wanted to ask.

“We’ll keep tabs on her,” Emily promised, “you going back tomorrow?”

“If that’s okay with you, I think the consistency is good for her. Dr Marquette is devising a treatment plan and she says routine and a stable support system will be key.”

“Whatever she needs Spencer.”

* * *

“Rosie!” The dog came bounding up to Spencer as soon as he opened the front door, weaving through his legs and wagging her tail. Spencer bent down to scratch behind her ears. “She’s excited.”

“I’m teaching her to fetch!” yelled Isaac from the living room. Rosie scampered back and Spencer heard a scuffling sound that he instinctively knew not to investigate. In the kitchen Grace was making dinner and she shot him a sympathetic look.

“You wanna talk about it?”

“Not right now,” Spencer moved behind her and wrapped his arms around Grace as she continued to stir, “ I just need to decompress a bit first. How was your day?”

“Prior to Isaac and Rosie destroying the house it wasn’t too bad. We have a new team member at work which means Sam and I won’t be doing everything and we can get some of our weekends back.”

“Thank god,” Spencer planted a kiss on her cheek. They had only been back from honeymoon for a short while and they were both missing it. Not just being on holiday, but having time just to devote to each other.

Dinner was on the quieter side with only Isaac explaining how he was trying to teach Rosie and a short summary of his school day.

“We have a nice life,” Spencer mused while he was washing up. Grace looked up from the paperwork she was going over at the table.

“We do,” she said slowly, the hint of a question in her voice.

“I just…don’t want to take it for granted.” Grace gave a wry chuckle as she lent back in her chair.

“After everything we’ve been through I don’t think that’s likely,” she said. “Is this about your case? The little girl?”  
  
“Her name’s Sophie,” Spencer kept his eyes focused on the plate he was rinsing. “She’s fi and Garcia can’t find a trace of her anywhere. She completely slipped through the cracks. It’s frightening. How easily could that be any of us?”

Wordlessly Grace stood, crossing the room to press a kiss to his cheek in lieu of an answer. Spencer hadn’t expected one. Maybe one didn’t exist. That night Grace held him as they fell asleep but when it did come it was fitful and he found himself dreaming about his childhood home in Vegas.

_The house was empty, no furniture, and no people. He wandered from room to room, aware of someone somewhere else in the house but never being able to find them._

_“Mom! Mom are you there?” He was ten years old again but he had his FBI credentials pinned awkwardly to his jacket. “Mom?” He could hear her talking on the phone to Aunt Ethel, something about groceries, and his Dad and paying bills. The words sounded strange, like Spencer’s head was underwater._

_Outside the street looked like the one he lived on now. There was no handle on the front door, no way to get out. Spencer raced back through the living room, hurtling towards the back of the house but the door to the backyard was gone, instead there was the sun-bleached wallpaper that covered the rest f the house._

_“Mom!” Spencer threw back his head and yelled as loud as his could but there was only silence. His mother’s voice couldn’t be heard anywhere. Instead there was the buzzing of a phone that he couldn’t find. He rummaged desperately in his pockets._

And then Grace shook him awake.

“I think its Emily _suiker_ ,” she mumbled, handing him his phone. Her hand stayed on Spencer’s shoulder, grounding him as he shifted into a sitting position and mumbled a greeting into the phone.

“Police have found over a car we think belongs to our unsubs,” Emily said. Spencer rubbed the sleep from his eyes, a vague sense of unease from his dream still hanging over him. “There was a body inside. He matches Blake’s description of the male unsub.”

“COD?”

“There’s got to be about five or six stab wounds in this guy,” Emily said, “I’m heading to the hospital now with Dave. Forensics are sending everything our way when they catalogue it all and Garcia is trying to get an ID.”

“It’s likely the female partner saw him as a liability,” said Spencer, rubbing his eyes, “she knows that we’re after her and she got rid of him so he didn’t slow her down.”

“We think she’ll run,” said Emily, “but just in case I’m asking local PD to have someone watch Sophie at the hospital and she’ll have a protective detail at the foster home.”

Cold dread welled up in Spencer’s stomach at the thought of this woman hurting Sophie even though he knew Emily was right. Mostly likely the unsub would escape rather than waste time going after Sophie but the very thought made his chest tighten.

“I’ll go to the hospital in the morning and supervise the handover to the foster parents if you don’t mind.”

“If we get a name and more details I may need you to check them with Sophie.”

“She’s communicating more and more each day,” said Spencer, “Just let me know what you need as soon as you get an ID.”

* * *

Something heavy was in the air as Spencer sat in the stiff plastic chair, watching Sophie pull on a new coat gifted by Dr Marquette along with new clothes to replace her hospital gown. The clothes had all been donated, the doctor had explained. They were probably the nicest things Sophie had ever worn. The coat was warm red wool and she kept running her hands over the arms. Her shoes were undone and she kept looking at them, chewing her lip.

“Would you like me to do those for you?” Spencer asked gently. A small nod. Sophie settled down on the chair while Spencer tied her laces. He could feel her watching him, afraid and uncertain. “You’re a brave girl you know that?” The smile she responded with was strained. It was like she was trying to make _him_ feel better. “You still have your magic quarter?” Sophie held it up and rolled it across her fingers to demonstrate. “That’s awesome! I got you a few more things too. Things you can do in your new home.”

Reaching into his satchel Spencer pulled out two books. The first was a book of fairy tales with beautiful illustrations and the second was a book of puzzles. He also had a box of colouring pencils and a pad of paper.

“So you don’t get bored,” said Spencer handing them to Sophie. She looked at them with awe. Opening up the fairy tale book and tracing the pictures with her finger. “Of course you might not have time. You’ll be too busy playing with the other kids.”

Sophie didn’t look convinced. She hugged the book to her chest, her knuckles turning white.

“Then there’s this,” Spencer held out his card. “You give this to the lady at the foster home, and tell her to call me if you need anything. I’ll come by and visit too to make sure you’re okay.” Sophie blinked and then to Spencer’s shock put her arms around his neck. The hug was loose, like she could bolt away if he made the wrong move but the gesture made Spencer’s throat tighten and his eyes sting. He rested his hands gently on her shoulders. “You’re going to be okay I promise.”

“Sophie, Dr Reid? It’s time to go.” Dr Marquette stood in the doorway, a suitcase full of the donated clothes in her hand. Sophie looked up at Spencer and took his hand as he offered it, holding as tight as she could.

The drive to the foster home was quiet. Spencer sat in the back with Sophie, her hand still clasping his tightly. As the buildings rolled past, Sophie’s head swung back and forth trying to take it all in.

She hasn’t been outside much, Spencer realised sadly. As much as he wanted that car journey to last for hours before too long they had pulled up at a large suburban house with a front yard littered with bikes and toys. A tired looking woman with a harsh face stood on the porch with her arms folded. Not the motherly figure Spencer had been hoping for. She looked distinctly unimpressed when he approached to introduce himself.

“I’m SSA Dr Reid with the FBI. This is Dr Marquette and this here is Sophie. You must be Dawn.” Dawn’s eyes flicked between the three of them, the expression unchanging. “Um, these are her clothes and a few belongings. You’ve been briefed on her situation.”

“Cops told me,” Dawn said. “I’ve put her in with the two littlest ones. It’ll be comforting.” The words should have been a relief to Spencer, a sign that she at least knew how to make Sophie feel safe and secure but he couldn’t ignore the knot in his stomach. “You’ll be coming by to question her?”

“The case is on-going,” Spencer nodded.

“Call first,” Dawn said, “I have eight children here, classes and clubs and whatnot. Not to mention trying to keep meal times and bedtimes consistent. I don’t want you messing up any routines.”

Spencer mumbled an acknowledgement and then knelt down to Sophie’s eye-level.

“I’m going to be back in a few days okay. Once you’re settled I’ll come and check on you.” Glancing up at Dawn he swore he saw her scowl but the expression was gone before he could properly register it. He stood up, rising to his full height above her. “She is under FBI protection. A police officer will be watching the house. Call us if there’s any problem.”

Dawn nodded curtly and led Sophie inside, gripping the sleeve of her coat. The little girl craned her head to watch Spencer until the door slammed shut. With anxiety that grew heavier with each minute that passed, Spencer made his way home.


	4. Chapter 4

“ _Suiker_?” Grace looked at him worriedly over the breakfast table. It had been two days since Sophie had gone to the foster home and that feeling that something was wrong hadn’t left Spencer. “Talk to me,” Grace urged gently.

“I know that the foster carer would have been vetted, I know that Sophie couldn’t stay in the hospital forever and I know that the unsub won’t try and get her but I just feel like I’m waiting for something bad to happen,” Spencer sighed and ran his hands through his hair, “I know I’m being ridiculous.”

“Can you see her?”

“I asked yesterday but Dawn said she wants Sophie to get settled first. Dr Marquette said she would check in today as part of the treatment program she’s devised.”

“Then she will tell you if something is wrong,” said Grace. She reached out and took his hand, giving it a squeeze. Spencer squeezed back, a little of the tension leaving him.

“What do-sorry hang on-“ Spencer fumbled in his pocket for his cell phone, “That’s Dr Marquette’s number…” _Sophie_.

“Dr Reid,” she hadn’t even waited for him to speak, as soon as he hit the button she began talking rapidly, the fear clear in her voice, “I am outside the foster home and there’s been a situation. Sophie is very distressed.”

“I’m on my way.” Spencer glanced at Grace who just nodded. He didn’t trust himself to speak in that moment. He could taste bile and he thought his heart was going to burst out of his chest.

He should have listened to his gut, he thought as she sped over to the foster home. How could he have been so stupid?

Pulling up, he saw Dr Marquette and Dawn in a heated argument on the porch. No ambulance though which was a blessing. The cop stationed outside was leaning awkwardly against his car, obviously keen not to get involved.

“What happened?” spencer demanded as he approached.

“I was assaulted,” screeched Dawn, “I don’t get paid enough for this.” She held up her arm for Spencer to see. There were teeth marks, deep enough to have drawn a little bit of blood.

“She’s a little girl who has been traumatised beyond belief,” snapped Dr Marquette, “you man-handling her and berating her must have been terrifying! What did you expect?”

“I have eight kids to feed, wash and get ready for school. I expect respect and obedience!” Dawn snapped.

“You’re an opportunist who takes in vulnerable children for money not because they need it,” snapped Spencer, “where is she?”

“The…the bathroom,” Dawn mumbled.

“I want her suitcase packed by the time I get back down here. Macy?”

Dr Marquette followed him up the stairs. A gaggle of kids scrambled out of the way into a bedroom, though the door remained open so they could peek through. How many of them had suffered under Dawn, Spencer wondered.

“What happened?” Spencer asked quietly.

“Apparently Sophie didn’t want to be washed this morning. Not surprising. Considering what she went through it stands to reason she doesn’t like being touched and she wants to maintain control over her body and her routines. Dawn got mad and tried to force her so Sophie retaliated,” said Dr Marquette, “Idiot woman, pardon my language, should not be responsible for children.”

“We need to find her and get her out of here,” sighed Spencer.

“She’s in there,” a finger emerged from the half open door and pointed to the door opposite.

“Sophie,” Spencer knocked gently, “It’s Spencer. I’ve got Macy with me. It’s okay, you can come out.”

The bathroom door opened a crack revealing a familiar, tear stained face.

“Hey, it’s okay, “ Spencer said, “I’ve come to take you away.”

The door opened fully and Sophie barrelled towards him, almost sending him flying.

“I’ve got you, it’s okay,” he murmured. She allowed him to scoop her up and buried her head in the crook of his neck as they headed downstairs.

“I’m filing a complaint,” Dr Marquette told Dawn, grabbing the suitcase off her. The other woman’s face was ashen, her hand trembling. Spencer put Sophie in the passenger seat of his car before turning to Dr Marquette.

“Where are you taking her?” the doctor asked.

“My place,” said Spencer, only realising it as he said it. It was probably against protocol and it might be wildly inappropriate but he didn’t care. Sophie needed him. “My wife and I have a son, there’s plenty of room for her, and we’re both law enforcement and familiar with trauma. Even if it’s just for a few days Sophie needs to feel safe.”

“I will put in a good word for anyone you need me to,” smiled Dr Marquette, “and honestly, if you can handle it maybe you could take her for more than a few days?”

Spencer didn’t say anything. He’d have to explain to Grace. It was a huge decision to make on his own but right now he was struggling to make sense of everything. He thanked Dr Marquette and put the case on the back seat.

The drive home was quiet. Sophie kept sneaking glances at him and Spencer shot back what he hoped were reassuring smiles.

“You’ll like my family,” he promised, “and together we’ll decide what to do next. You don’t need to go back to that place. I promise.”

Sophie just blinked but a little of the fear was gone from her eyes. The rest of the ride was spent with her looking out of the window and Spencer going over and over in his head what he was going to say to Grace he turned up with a mysterious child.

But when he pulled up Grace was standing in the doorway. She gave a small wave as Sophie and Spencer approached.

“I’m Grace. I’ve made up the sofa bed for you upstairs but tomorrow we’ll get you a proper one okay? Are her things in the car?” she asked Spencer. He nodded, no idea what to say when she strode past to go and grab the case. Instead he guided Sophie upstairs to his office.

The sofa bed was made up with pink flowery bedding that they definitely had not owned that morning. Isaac was plugging in the nightlight shaped like a hot air balloon he’d had since he was a baby.

“It helps you have good dream,” he explained to Sophie, “and I’ve got a bunch of books for you to read!”

Sophie wandered round the side of the bed, studying everything carefully. The books were ones they had bought Isaac when he was very little and while he hadn’t used the night light in years it had been brought out briefly after he had been taken from his school by his biological grandmother. The whole thing had been frightening for all of them and Isaac had needed reassurance and to feel safe.

Now Sophie did too.

“And I brought this,” Isaac held out one of his old teddy bears, “I thought he could help you sleep too.”

Sophie took the bear gingerly, running her fingers through the fur, tapping the stitched nose. She beamed up at Isaac who gave her a toothy grin in return. Spencer heard Grace approach behind him and turned away from Isaac showing Grace the books he had picked.

“You knew. You knew I’d bring her home,” he said. A whole host of emotions was crashing down on him at once. Grace gave a small shrug and flashed him her half-smile.

“I knew you would want what was best for her and what safer place is there than here?” said Grace.

“Thank you. Even if you guessed what I was going to do it’s still a lot to spring on you and Isaac,” Spencer pulled her close. “Will he be okay?”

“Oh he was very excited,” grinned Grace. “Between you and me I’m not sure he’s a fan of being an only child.”

Interesting, Spencer thought as he recalled Dr Marquette’s words. They watched as Isaac pointed at pictures in a children’s encyclopaedia. One day at a time, he tried to remind himself, and yet the idea that this could be the start of something new was exciting.

Spencer was stirred from his thoughts by a knock from downstairs.

“Our unsub has a name,” Emily announced as Spencer opened the door. “Christina Winnow, twenty-eight years old, grew up in a very violent household. She has a sealed juvenile record but when she was twenty-two she was question in regards to the murder of a teenage neighbour. Police suspected she was grooming the boy but could never prove it. Our dead body in the car is her husband Trey Winnow. Long history of drug dealing and solicitation but he hit his stride when he met Christina. Did ten years for rape and they suspected him of other crimes.”

Spencer took the file from Emily and skimmed through. The boy’s death had been painful but the post-mortem damage to the body was worse. This woman was angry and got off on inflicting pain and somewhere along the line she had learned to monetise that. Spencer’s stomach turned and he couldn’t finish reading.

“Her sister lives about two hours from here. Garcia found that they have been calling one another recently. It’s a volatile relationship but Christina might go there for help.”

“Good, that’s good. This thing might be nearly over,” said Spencer.

“The case at least,” Emily leaned against the door frame, “I hear you have a house guest. Dr Marquette called us, she’s a very big fan of yours.”

“Sophie couldn’t stay there Emily.” There was a pleading note in Spencer’s voice. “She needs specialist care, someone who understands.” Emily held up a hand and Spencer’s heart sank.

“I understand, honestly I do and with a bit of smoothing out there should be no problem with you and Grace being her emergency foster parents but it means you can’t be involved with the ca-“

“That’s fine. It’s better than fine. “ He took in the look on Emily’s face. “Honestly I think I can do more good this way. Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Nothing it’s just…sometimes seeing how much you’ve changed since I first started at the BAU…it makes me really proud,” Emily smiled. “There was a time you would have fought tooth and nail to stay on a case.”

She was right and yet in that moment nothing was important to Spencer as the people upstairs.

“You’re going to catch this woman,” he said firmly, “and I’m going to keep Sophie safe.”

* * *

Christina Winnow died trying to escape across a roof, pursued by local PD and the BAU. JJ told Spencer later that she and Luke had tried to talk her down but in the end the thought of going to prison was too much. For three days the team had tracked her from her sister’s house to a string of dead end hotels. Afterwards they found cash, drugs, indecent images and a contact book full of clients of the website and more crucially the names of people who had kidnapped children for Christina.

“So you may find out where Sophie is from,” Spencer said. He was in the roundtable room with Emily and Rossi as they debriefed him. He knew he should be happy for Sophie. There was a chance to be reunited her with her family. He _was_ happy for her damn it but there was a twinge of something else.

“The child protection team have all these jag offs in custody and we’re helping their guys piece together MOs,” said Rossi, “but what we’ve learned so far is they specialised in high-risk victims, children who wouldn’t be missed.”

“A judge has ruled Sophie can stay with us until her family are located,” said Spencer. “We’ve put a sample of her DNA in a genealogy database. Hopefully something will come up.”

“Oh yeah you sound super hopeful,” snorted Rossi. Emily shot him a look.

“I can’t promise you anything Spencer,” she said, turning back to him, “but I know you care about Sophie and you will be the first to know if anything happens.”

Spencer didn’t know how to tell Sophie that Winnow was dead, or even if he should. It was a lot to place on the shoulders of such a little girl and yet she had already experienced so much already. Was she afraid of Winnow? Would it help to know the woman was dead?

“So I wanted to tell you that the people who hurt you are gone,” Spencer said later that night when he tucked Sophie into bed. They had cleared out the guest room and bought a children’s bed and some cheery soft furnishings. They were planning to head to the DIY store at the weekend to pick out some paint. Both Spencer and Grace agreed that they wanted Sophie to feel like she had a space of her own.

Several basic ground rules had been established. They made it clear that Sophie was in charge of her own space. If she was mad or sad or scared then she could stop anyone touching her or coming into her room. The threshold was a defence and she decided who passed through. It was the same with washing and dressing. They let Sophie do everything herself, standing outside the bathroom and telling her to make a noise if she needed anything. It was heart breaking how much of a difference it made to her.

There were still a million things to work out. Meal times were tough, Sophie didn’t really know what food she liked and had a habit of pushing plates off the table to make a point when she got angry. It was another control thing. Shopping and being in large crowds was distressing and soon it would be time to think about getting her into a school. Dr Marquette was going to help with that but it would need to be handled carefully. There was also therapy. Lots and lots of therapy but thankfully the family already knew about that and Grace and Spencer were more than willing to try anything.

Sophie looked up at him. Spencer wasn’t sure how much she absorbed what he was saying. The relief on her face could have been a trick of his imagination. She slipped her arm out from under the covers and held out her hand, palm up. The quarter glinted as the glow from the night light illuminated it. There was a questioning look in her eyes.

“You keep that,” Spencer smiled, “I hope you feel safe here but just in case you need it it’s yours.” Sophie put it on the new nightstand next to the book of fairytales and wriggled back under the covers.

“Goodnight Sophie,” Spencer paused by the door. Just before he pulled the door to he heard a small voice.

“G’night.”


	5. Epilogue

“Don’t worry. This is all just a formality,” Grace whispered in Spencer’s ear and gave his arm a squeeze. He smiled weakly but he couldn’t stop tapping his leg or drumming his fingers as they waited in the courtroom. Even Dr Marquette hurrying in and giving him a broad smile and double thumbs up couldn’t calm his nerves.

“It’s going to be fine Spencer,” said Grace.

Before he could respond the judge entered and everyone rose. Judge Michaels had been handling Sophie’s case from the start. He was forthright and fatherly and had always ruled in their favour up until now but Spencer knew this could go wrong at any moment.

“Good morning everyone,” he peered through the paperwork the clerk handed him. “This is a hearing on some updates in the case of Sophie Doe, currently in the custody of Dr Reid and Ms Owens-Reid. Mrs Ellis you’re here on behalf of the CPS?”

“I am your honour.”

“It’s been two years since Sophie was fostered with you and your wife Dr Reid while your unit at the FBI investigated a child abuse ring?”

“That’s correct,” Spencer stood and grasped his hands in front of him to stop them shaking. “We have been conducting an extensive search to locate Sophie’s next of kin and two weeks ago we found a DNA match…” The clerk handed Michaels a file and he nodded for Spence to continue. “We found a maternal match with a murder victim in Rhode Island. The woman was around 23 years old and found beaten and stabbed on the side of the road by State Police five years ago. The crime was linked to the murders of several other young woman in the State who were in the employ of a local criminal, Franklin Jay Kent”

“Was this young woman identified?”

“Eventually,” said Spencer, “Evelyn Bowers. She answered an online advert for a modelling position but the job was fake. Instead she was drugged and held against her will by Kent and then forced into sex work to pay off an imaginary debt. When she became pregnant she was forced to start dealing to pay for herself and Sophie. Evelyn was killed by a rival drug dealer and the child was sold to Christina Winnow who then proceeded to auction her on her site.”

Michaels nodded gravely and gestured for Spencer to sit down. Saying it out loud made to all seem matter of fact rather than the horror show it was. Spencer had forced himself to look at the crime scene photos. It was important for him to grieve for Sophie’s mother, no more than a child herself really. The only photo they had other than that was of Evelyn at her high school graduation, smiling and looking for all the world like someone with her whole life ahead of her.

“Did Miss Bowers have a next of kin?”

“No your honour.” Mrs Ellis from CPS stood up. “Both her parents died when she was 21 in a car crash and she had no siblings.”

“Dr Marquette you have been treating Sophie for complex PTSD since she has been living with her foster parents. Can you tell me a little about her progress?” Michaels asked. Dr Marquette stood and Spencer admired her calm demeanour. The woman had been an absolute godsend for the past couple of years.

“Sophie’s physical health was very poor when she was rescued. She was entirely non-verbal and had problems socialising. We still don’t know the full extent of what happened to her before she was found but I imagine she knew only pain and fear. Spencer and Grace have changed that by providing a loving home, a devoted older brother and all the security a child like Sophie needs. “ Dr Marquette turned to them and smiled. The room began to blur for Spencer, his throat tightening. “They have committed to therapy sessions both for Sophie one to one and sessions for the whole family. She is a very bright, engaged young child who reads extensively and is getting better at communicating every day.

“From next month she will spend two days a week in mainstream school with a specialist helper and the rest of the week she has sessions at my facility. Our plan is to increase that, slowly over the next few years. Undoubtedly, Sophie will always bear the scars of what she experienced but thanks to Spencer and Grace she has a real chance of growing up happy and healthy.” Dr Marquette sat down and for a moment the judge was silent.

“It says here that you wish to adopt Sophie,” he said eventually.

“That’s right your honour,” said Grace. “She’s our daughter. We love her and all we want is to make sure she’s safe and happy.” Spencer nodded enthusiastically, his hand gripping Grace’s.

“As there is no one else with any legal claim to guardianship I believe it would be irresponsible and dangerous to remove Sophie from your custody,” said Michaels. “Clearly she is a very lucky child. The paperwork will be prepared immediately.”

Spencer’s face went slack and he looked at Grace to check he had heard right and she threw her arms round his neck, tears of joy rolling down both their faces.

At home, Luke and Penelope had been looking after the kids, trying unsuccessfully to distract them with a board game while they waited for Spencer and Grace’s return. The four of them stood up at once as Spencer burst through the door brandishing a slip of paper, Grace a little way behind him. She loved her husband’s enthusiasm normally but here it made her heart swell.

“Did we win?” Isaac asked.

Spencer’s triumphant yes drowned out Grace’s “it wasn’t really a fight”.

“Sophie Owens-Reid.” Spencer knelt down in front of her and held out the certificate with her new official name.

“Sophie Owens-Reid,” she repeated, her face stretching into a gappy smile. “That’s me!”

“It definitely is!” Spencer whooped and swept her up into his arms, causing her to giggle wildly. “We need to celebrate. Luke, Penelope?”

“Hell yes!” laughed Luke. “No way we would pass up partying with Team Owens-Reid right Pen?”

“I should have got a you guys a present!” wailed Penelope.

“No need.” Spencer pulled Grace and Isaac into the big family hug. Sophie was trapped between them, still giggling and waving the paper around. “We already got the best present ever.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you like my stuff feel free to come by my tumblr [Illegal Cerebral ](https://illegalcerebral.tumblr.com) . I am always up for a chat!
> 
> **I only post my work to AO3 and tumblr. If you find this story posted on other platforms it has been stolen and reposted without my permission**
> 
> **I DO NOT CONSENT TO MY WORK BEING USED THIS WAY**


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